Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced his resignation, according to local media reports on Sunday, as members of his ruling party aim to initiate a new leadership contest following poor results in the upper house elections.
The move follows less than a year after the 68-year-old took leadership of the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He has subsequently lost his majority in both chambers of parliament.
Public broadcaster NHK said that Ishiba opted to prevent a division within the party, although the Asahi Shimbun stated that he could not endure the increasing demands for his resignation.
The agricultural minister and a former prime minister allegedly convened with Ishiba on Saturday night to implore him to retire freely.
NHK said that Ishiba is anticipated to declare his intention to resign at a news conference later today.
Last week, four senior officials of the LDP, including the party’s second-in-command, Hiroshi Moriyama, tendered their resignations.
Critics of Ishiba have urged him to resign in accountability for the election outcomes subsequent to the upper chamber vote in July.
Supporters of the initiative included 84-year-old prominent former Prime Minister Taro Aso, as reported by local media.
However, other older members advocated for caution, arguing that the LDP’s traditional political practices were compromising its legitimacy.
Lawmakers from the LDP and regional officials throughout Japan seeking a new leadership election will file a request on Monday.
The leadership contest will proceed if the necessary majority is attained.
Ishiba’s tenure as party head was scheduled to conclude in September 2027.
His principal adversary, Sanae Takaichi, seen as a staunch nationalist, virtually declared on Tuesday her intention to pursue a contest.
Recent opinion polls indicated a resurgence of support for Ishiba’s cabinet, attributed to tariff agreements with the United States and the government’s plan to amend the present rice policy to enhance production.
Electorate sentiment towards the aggressive Takaichi, the second-place finisher in the 2024 leadership race, is lukewarm.
A Nikkei survey conducted at the end of August identified Takaichi as the most “suitable” successor to Ishiba, followed by Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi; however, 52 percent of participants deemed a leadership race unnecessary.
Following the election, social media users advocated for the moderate Ishiba to retain his position under the slogan “#Ishiba Don’t quit”.
The LDP has maintained near-continuous governance since 1955; nonetheless, voters have increasingly abandoned the party in favor of fringe groups such as the populist Sanseito.
Contributing factors encompass escalating costs, particularly for rice, declining living standards, and discontent regarding corruption scandals within the LDP.
Diligent career politician Ishiba was elected leader of the LDP last year on his fifth attempt, pledging a “new Japan.”
